The Opera
Natasha's encounter with Moscow society; Marya takes her guests Natasha and Sonya into the world of Moscow, to the Opera. Natasha is fascinated and meets a mysterious new friend. MARYA D. The opera, the opera! Hold up your dresses and jump out quickly SERVANT Ladies Welcome to the opera SONYA Bare arms and shoulders Brilliant uniforms Pearls and silk Glittering before our eyes Feminine envy A whole crowd of memories Desires and emotions Natasha, smooth your gown CHORUS Natasha, smooth your gown NATASHA Looking in the glass I see I am pretty Not a girl anymore I've never felt like this before Hundreds of eyes Looking at my bare arms My bare arms and neck My bare arms and shoulders CHORUS The two remarkably pretty girls Had not been seen in Moscow in many years Everybody knew vaguely of Natasha's engagement One of the finest matches in all of Russia SONYA Look, there's Alexey, home from the war at last MARYA D. He has changed Dear me, Michael Kirilovich has grown still stouter! CHORUS There's Boris and Julie, engaged And Anna Mikhaylovna, what a headdress she has on! HELENE And is that Natasha CHORUS And is that Natasha And is that Natasha NATASHA They are looking at me They are talking about me! They all like me so much The women envious The men calming their jealousy SERVANT Announcing Fedya Dolokhov He dominates Moscow's most brilliant young men He stands in full view Well aware he's attracting attention Yet as much as ease as though he were in his own room MARYA D. Dolokhov was in the Caucasus And he killed the Shah's brother! Now all the Moscow ladies are mad about him Dolokhov the assassin! SERVANT Announcing Countess Helene Bezukhova The queen of society Beautiful, barely clothed Plump bare shoulders, and much exposed neck Round which she wears a double string of pearls CHORUS Helene and Dolokhov, arm in arm Pierre the cuckold sits at home Pierre the cuckold sits at home The poor man PIERRE No, I am enjoying myself at home this evening NATASHA Oh, that neck Oh, those pearls HELENE So beautiful What a charming young girl So enchanting NATASHA I blush scarlet MARYA D. Countess Bezukhova, Pierre's wife Have you been here long? And where is dear Pierre? He never used to forget us NATASHA Yes Pierre, that good man A little sad, a little stout He must come visit us HELENE I will implore MARYA D. There's a woman one should stay far away from Now Natasha The curtain rises CHORUS The curtain rises NATASHA Everyone in the boxes and the stalls became silent All the men, old and young, in uniform and evening dress All the women in the hall With gems on their bare flesh Turned their whole attention With curiosity to the stage (Two singers perform a scene from an avant-garde opera. It is grotesque and amazing.) NATASHA Grotesque and amazing I cannot follow the opera Or even listen to the music I see painted cardboard Queerly dressed actors Moving and singing so strangely in the lights So false and unnatural I'm ashamed and amused And everyone else seems oblivious Yes everyone feigns delight SONYA And feeling the flood of brilliant lights, The warm perfumed air heated by the crowd, Natasha little by little Began to pass into a state of intoxication (Natasha joins the singers in the opera.) NATASHA Oh I'd tickle you all if I could Oh I'd tickle you all if I could SONYA And then A rush of cold air NATASHA & SONYA An exceptionally handsome man walked in With a confident yet courteous air HELENE This was Helene's brother Anatole Kuragin He moved with a swagger Which would have been ridiculous Had he not been so good-looking And though it was the middle of the act He walked right down the aisle His sword and spurs jangling His handsome perfumed head held high And he looked right at Natasha ANATOLE Mais Charmante HELENE And he took his place in the front row next to Dolokhov NATASHA How handsome he is How intoxicating SONYA In the second act there were tombstones The moon over the footlights Horns and contrabass Black cloaks and daggers in their hands NATASHA I turn around again and our eyes meet He gazes straight into my eyes He is talking about me SONYA Candles burning A crimson throne The Tsar wails a mournful tune They all wave their arms And everybody cheers “Bravo, bravo!” NATASHA Everytime I look at him He's looking at me Everytime I look at him He's looking at me Everytime I look at him SONYA A terrible noise, a clutter in the crowd A storm of chromatic scales and diminished sevenths With rapturous faces everyone was shouting Screaming and shouting, “Bravo!” CHORUS Bravo, bravo Bravo, bravo Bravo, bravo SONYA And then A rush of cole air And Anatole entered the box